Social distancing guides golf course opening

Expect a little more space out on the links this summer.

Whitefish Lake Golf Course is set to open this week on Wednesday, April 29, with new social distancing procedures as necessitated by the coronavirus outbreak.

Originally the course announced it would open May 4, but has since bumped that time frame up.

Terry Nelson, General Manager at WLGC, said things are going to be a bit different this summer.

“With the golf course, we’re going to eliminate all the common touch points,” he said. “There won’t be any rakes, there won’t be any ball washes, there won’t be any benches. All those things will be gone. We’ll have the cups set up so the balls only go in an inch or so, so people don’t have to reach in.”

The intervals between tee times will also grow from eight to 10 minutes, and carts will be single rider only unless the golfers are immediate family, Nelson added.

The driving range will be open, with golfers spaced out and an attendant on the range to help ensure people keep distance from one another. Golfers can call ahead of time and reserve a driving range spot as well.

Nelson said the putting green will also be open, with targets, instead of holes, spaced out to provide more distancing.

Whitefish Lake Restaurant at the golf course will also get a phased-in opening starting May 4, Nelson said. Bar seating is prohibited, and once open, the lounge and dining room will be half capacity, with tables spread out for distancing between patrons.

Takeout is also an option, and golfers can call and order their meal or drinks and pick them up at the window instead of going inside.

The Pro Shop, which opens Monday, will also see its merchandise spread out so people won’t be clustered close together.

“Again with social distancing rules, there’s only so many people in the shop at a time,” Nelson said.

Despite all the changes, Nelson said he’s feeling good about the course.

He’s already seeing a number of people out for walks along the course, and he expects plenty of golfers once things start up.

“The course is in absolutely fantastic shape. We expect to get flooded with people once we ring the bell,” he said. “Most of the other courses in the valley are open. We kind of picked their brains to see the issues they dealt with. We’ve been the most cautious. We just felt for the safety of our staff it was better to wait to open up.”

And while this season’s opening date is a couple weeks later than the usual start date, Nelson added that the effects of closures still have yet to be seen at WLGC.

“We’re probably two weeks later than normal. Everybody’s taking a hit in our economy. It’s hit a little bit with us, but not drastic yet. We’ll see what happens in June, July, August and September. Those are the months where we make the most of our revenue. For now, we’re doing alright,” he said.

The impacts will likely be felt in tournaments and league play, Nelson said, though most of those now are just on hold.

“For right now, the early season tournaments — like the season opener — are on hold. We haven’t canceled anything else, the Bulldog Open might be delayed until the fall. Our leagues will start about two weeks later than normal. We would normally have started to the first part of May, we’ll wait till the middle of May to get those things going,” he said. “It’s going to be different, but I think we’re ready for it. We’re as ready as we can be.”

For more information, visit golfwhitefish.com.